College football odds Week 13: How to bet Notre Dame-USC
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to take on the USC Trojans for a battle between bitter rivals in Week 13 of the college football season.
Notre Dame is coming off a 44-0 dismantling of Boston College in Week 12. The Trojans come into this game after defeating cross-town foe UCLA 48-45 in a Pac-12 After Dark showdown.
Which squad gets another tally in the win column in Week 13 — the visiting Irish or the home team Trojans?
Here’s everything you need from a betting perspective on the game between Notre Dame and USC, from the point spread, moneyline, total Over/Under and expert pick (odds via FOX Bet).
No. 18 Notre Dame at No. 7 USC (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC)
Point spread: USC -5.5 (USC favored to win by more than 5.5 points, otherwise Notre Dame covers)
Moneyline: USC -227 favorite to win (bet $10 to win $14.41 total); Notre Dame +165 underdog to win (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Total scoring Over/Under: 62 points scored by both teams combined
Pick via FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz:
I’m 36 years old. I’ve watched football since I was five and have been playing competitively at a high level since I showed up at Oregon a month after my 18th birthday. I retired from football in 2016, and since then, I still consume the sport as a fan and watch college and NFL game film.
I have never seen a team like USC.
The Trojans are two wins away from a playoff appearance with an offense that ranks second in points per drive and a defense that’s 104th in limiting points per offensive drive. USC’s defensive line is seventh in havoc rate and has forced 24 turnovers this season — that’s good for a team turnover margin rate of plus 21! It’s nearly impossible to have a defensive line that good with a defense who can force that many turnovers and still be 104th in defensive points per drive. SC has won two games by three points each on the road against ranked teams while forcing four turnovers in each game. There’s no way to explain this success.
Every fiber in my body continues to want to fade USC, but that has been bad business. The Trojans continue to win and cover, just as they did Saturday night. So the better play is the Over on Saturday when they host the Irish.
Notre Dame’s offense is hit or miss, but against SC, every offense is a hit. Utah scored 43, Arizona 41, Cal’s 95th-ranked offense scored 35 and UCLA — despite four turnovers on Saturday — still scored 45 points. USC has not played a defense like Notre Dame’s in quite a while, but I’m not sure that it matters if Notre Dame is good on defense or not.
USC will score. The Trojans always end up scoring. But is Notre Dame fast enough on defense to keep up? So points will be scored on Saturday. Take the points.
PICK: Over 62 points scored by both teams combined at FOX Bet
Download the FOX Super 6 app for your chance to win thousands of dollars on the biggest sporting events each and every week! Just make your picks and you could win the grand prize. Download and play today!
Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
